The dominant force trying to return water to flatness after formation of a wave.

Study for the IB Marine Science Standard Level Exam. Prepare with interactive quizzes and in-depth explanations. Use our resources to excel in your marine science knowledge!

Multiple Choice

The dominant force trying to return water to flatness after formation of a wave.

Explanation:
The concept here is the restoring force that returns a displaced water surface to equilibrium after a wave has formed. When water is raised into a crest or depressed into a trough, gravity acts to pull the elevated water down and push the lowered water up, converting potential energy into kinetic energy and setting up the oscillation that characterizes a wave. For ordinary ocean waves, gravity is the dominant restoring force (with surface tension only important for very small, capillary waves). The other terms describe a type of wave or feature that doesn’t denote the force acting to flatten the surface. So the best answer is the general restoring force.

The concept here is the restoring force that returns a displaced water surface to equilibrium after a wave has formed. When water is raised into a crest or depressed into a trough, gravity acts to pull the elevated water down and push the lowered water up, converting potential energy into kinetic energy and setting up the oscillation that characterizes a wave. For ordinary ocean waves, gravity is the dominant restoring force (with surface tension only important for very small, capillary waves). The other terms describe a type of wave or feature that doesn’t denote the force acting to flatten the surface. So the best answer is the general restoring force.

More Multiple Choice Questions
Subscribe

Get the latest from Passetra

You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our privacy policy